Project Rangeet

Supporting educators to connect brains with hearts using play-based social-emotional and ecological knowledge developed around multiple intelligences, using an app.

Problems of educational inequity exist because:

• Most government education systems and low fee private schools, especially in developing countries, teach in a rote learning style. This translates into many children falling behind because they are not academically inclined. The consequence of this may include loneliness and low self-esteem, potentially leading to long-term feelings of inadequacy. 

• Wide gaps exist due to differences in socioeconomic background, race, religion, gender, linguistic and geographical contexts, including digital divides.

Competence in social-emotional skills can help bridge gaps in educational inequalities. Project Rangeet complements core curricula through a Social Emotional and Ecological Knowledge (SEEK) platform. Using the understanding of multiple intelligences and  playful learning methods, including music, art, storytelling, games and role play, children’s latent strengths are discovered. For 50 minutes a week every child is afforded the opportunity to shine. Students become better all round learners who develop empathy towards themselves, others and all life on earth. Classrooms become safe environments where children are accepted for who they are.

Children collaborate and address important issues, including different types of discrimination and bullying, physical and mental health, growth mindsets, and climate change, thereby raising awareness. SEEK encourages students to discover solutions, whilst imbibing necessary life skills.  

Social-emotional learning includes the process of developing self-awareness, self-control and interpersonal skills vital to everyday life (Denham, 2003; Duncan, 2007). Research links strong social-emotional skills to increased mental, social and academic outcomes  (Elias, 2008) and weak social-emotional skills to negative behaviours, well-being or even neuropsychiatric disorders (Paus, 2008; Durlak et al, 2011; Kautz et al for OECD). Development of such skills lasts into young adulthood (Mills, 2018), offering a prolonged window of opportunity for positive impact on individuals and communities (Kautz et al for OECD). Project Rangeet currently targets children aged 7-16 and plans to develop an early childhood programme.

Project Rangeet is a science and research-based scalable, sustainable solution. Research proves the effectiveness of child-centred, pedagogical methods like playful learning and multiple intelligences ensuring "no child is left behind” (Brookings Policy 2020; Gardner, 2019 updated). SEEK uses a “breadth of skills approach” connecting with each individual. Influenced by educators Emily Style and Professor J.A Banks, through stories, language or culture, children see reflections of themselves. SEEK becomes a window, making unknown worlds accessible. Different viewpoints are encouraged.

 A Collaborative For Academic, Social and Emotional Learning report (CASEL; 2017) states social-emotional interventions support the positive development of students regardless of race, socioeconomic background, or geographical contexts (Bridgerland, 2013). The World Economic Forum reports the top ten skills required in the workforce all involve social-emotional competence (Future Jobs Report). 

Notably, half of all youth entering the 2030 workforce may lack necessary basic social-emotional skills, highlighting the dire need for solutions (Winthrop 2019). 

Based on this evidence and over 22 years of teaching experience, Project Rangeet developed SEEK. The most current and varying viewpoints of different experts, including environmentalists, psychologists and scientists, etc are included. 

The app also allows data collection and consequent evaluation for further improvements and knowledge generation.

Project Rangeet (www.projectrangeet.com) is a social-emotional and ecological knowledge platform which uses an innovative, recognised approach adaptable to different cultures and languages, scalable across socioeconomic and geographic contexts which can be co-opted by any organization to impact not just individual children, but future societies and thinking. The platform ensures learning continuity in schools and within communities.

Project Rangeet Video

UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL APPROACH

• Uses multiple intelligences and playful learning methods to include every child

• Aligned with UN SDGs ensuring no child is left behind

• Research/experience based

SCALABLE

• Affordable. Licence cost: USD10/month or USD100/year to teach any number of children

• Can be taught in a classroom/outside anywhere, anytime 

• Can be taught by anyone. Easy to follow lesson plans enable anyone who can read: older students, community members, elders, parents, NGO volunteers to teach and support teachers

• Only 1 mobile device required (and by teacher, volunteer only). Only 8% of edtech use mobiles. Uniquely suited to developing countries where students do not have computers, tablets or mobile devices 

• Accessible to students and teachers from all socioeconomic backgrounds

• Minimal preparation time and resources  

• Adaptable to cultural contexts and language

RELEVANT

• Focus on ecology is key 

MEASURABLE

• Built-in process and mechanism to measure, monitor and assess impact of the program in real time

COMMUNITY-LED 

• Empowering teachers and local community members. Allows community members to take ownership of bettering their communities. 

SUSTAINABLE 

• Minimal infrastructure and training requirement makes easy to adapt and adopt

Our prevailing educational systems struggle to take into account multiple intelligences or the social emotional aspects of a child's growth. We equip educators with an easy to implement mobile app featuring Social Emotional and Ecological Knowledge using playful learning methods to develop children into better all-round learners and well-adjusted adults.

Problems:

• Pre-existing educational inequities, exacerbated by the pandemic. 

• Rote learning systems that do not take into account the needs of every child or equip them for the future.

• A globalised, interconnected world lacking in empathy where everyone’s behaviour, values and actions matter.

• Timely measurement of the efficacy of such programs is challenging.

Intervention: 

• Educators are equipped with an app featuring SEEK that can be taught in any socioeconomic or geographic context including students who do not have access to school. Only one device is required and can be taught in person or remotely.

• Classes: active with room for discovery and experiential learning through inquiry and reflection; engaging; meaningful, connecting new content and prior knowledge; socially interactive with peer collaboration and adult support; iterative with chances to form, test, and revise hypotheses; and joyful. These principles naturally emerge through guided play, in which an adult facilitates child-led playful activities to meet learning goals.

• Monitoring tools, iterative feedback, impact measurement and teacher reflection data collected and analysed near real time

Outputs: 

• Children and educators develop social-emotional competencies

• Pedagogically upskilled educators

• Educators can include more children

• Includes all types of learners

• Ensures learning in schools and communities

Short-Term Outcomes:      

• Social-emotional well-being

• Collaborative and engaged learning environments

• Reduced teacher burnout

• Better learning outcomes 

Long-Term Outcomes: 

• More inclusive learning systems

• Children demonstrate empathy for themselves, others and all life on earth

• Reduced negative mental effects

• More likely to transition effectively into the workforce

• Resulting in equitable society

• Co-optable into other learning systems

To scale requires seismic change in attitudes, and bravery to accept that current systems require continuous adaptation. Our goals are to reach as many children and teachers around the world as possible. 

Ensuring evidence-based results we will:

• Implement the solution with as many schools / educators as possible to build experience. Impact Report

• Collect evidence, evaluate, reproduce and replicate (learning what works and what doesn’t)

• Adapt and implement changes

• Become a “thought leader” to influence advocacy and education

To achieve this, we will:

• Distribute through and enable existing platforms, donors, education agencies, school networks.

• Work with governments and aid agencies. Support displaced individuals, building relevance and reputation.

• Test our platform in various settings (different socioeconomic backgrounds, geographies) or forms, (connectivity and remotely / in person).

• Evaluate the hypothesized positive effect of Project Rangeet.

• Become more visible / relevant with key stakeholders, journalists and partners.

• Ensure detailed teacher resources, documentation, in app training material Empower and reward participants and contributors to support a dynamic network via culture, context, language resulting in global relevance.

Project Rangeet has been:

Cited by Brookings Institution as a model for playful learning

Endorsed by the UN as a good practice in SDG 4&5

Project Rangeet has submitted a recommendation to the World Economic Forum as a model for global replication: How can we close digital divides along the lines of income, race, gender and geography ensuring that the most disconnected communities become the most innovative?  Davos Labs 2021

1. Education policy reform is a must for the implementation of our program and is the biggest challenge we face. At present educators are consumed by focusing on catching up on the “lost” curriculum and “lost contact hours” instead of building back stronger and building forward (Andreas Schleicher, 2021).

2. The onset of COVID-19 and consequent restrictions impact our ability to engage consistently with schools and communities. Educators are overburdened about existing academic shorfallings.

3. Capital is a barrier for:

• UI/UX design and improvement. Our product could improve in design, and user experience.

• Continued curriculum design and development. We currently have a curriculum for 7-16 year olds. Capital is required to develop an early childhood program.

• Sales and marketing teams may strengthen the efforts to reach more educators and communities.

• Improvement of systematic data collection.

• Improvement of impact collection modules, and testing methodologies. 

4. Culture is a challenge. Developing adequate educational content will set us apart, but requires knowledge and sensitivity that is country-specific(e.g., Body Positivity and LGBTQIA). We believe this is important to achieve true equity and reform

• We need to improve mindsets across the academic ecosystem.

• Advocacy and education reform is required to support the idea that our education systems need to be agile and recognise that SEL for students and teachers is a path to achieving classroom equity.

• Project Rangeet can not only deliver SEEK but also measure its impact on students and teachers. The acquired data output needs to be disseminated effectively. We seek to connect and partner with advocates with whom we can collaborate to influence the dialogue, supporting the conversation with protocols and evidence for action.

 Capital will help us to:

• Grow sales, brand, marketing teams (Customer Discovery and Sales).

• Improve technology: UI/UX and AI that helps align teaching content with student learning as well as adapting coursework served up to teachers basis student iterative feedback and teacher observations.

• Build teams who can effectively advocate, train and support school leaders globally through multiple languages and contexts.

• Improve data collection methods, support research and impact testing and reporting that evaluates assumptions about program efficacy through evidence. Rangeet has already provided evidence that not only is Rangeet important for students, but the program improves overall pedagogical skills, personal biases and attitudes toward teaching. Furthermore, in some states the types of discrimination prevalent were brought into focus: for example, the biases of Bangladeshi children were more anchored in religious issues, whilst in Jharkhand, skin tone and gender were the dominant issues.